2008 Toyota Avalon

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ACTIVATED WHEN SUDDENLY, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE HEADLIGHT FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEADLIGHT BULB A TOTAL OF THREE TIMES BUT THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR EVERY TWO TO THREE MONTHS AFTER THE REPLACEMENT. MOST RECENTLY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADVISED THAT THE MALFUNCTION WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING, WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

WHILE DRIVING WITH THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON EITHER THE RIGHT OR THE LEFT LIGHT WENT OUT. REPLACED BOTH HID LIGHTS BUT ISSUE KEEPS COMING BACK. WHEN I TURN THE LIGHT OFF AND THEN ON THE LIGHTS COME BACK ON. HOWEVER AFTER A COUPLE OF MINUTES ONE OF THE LIGHTS GO OFF AGAIN. IT SEEMS TO BE RANDOM, BUT SOME TIMES BOTH GO OUT THIS IS AN OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. CALLED TOYOTA TO FILE A COMPLAINT AS THE DEALER DID NOT WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THIS. TOYOTA FRANKLY TOLD US THAT THIS IS NOT THEIR ISSUE. LOOKING AT MANY OTHER OWNERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT. WE LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND WITHOUT LIGHTS YOU HAVE VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS ESPECIALLY IN THE WINTER. P.S. THIS IS NOT THE HIGH BEAM ISSUE BUT RATHER THE NORMAL HEAD LIGHT. *TR

IDLING IN THE DRIVEWAY WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ILLUMINATED, WE HEARD WHAT SEEMED LIKE A FIREWORK OR SMALL ARMS FIRE. MOMENTS LATER THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. WE EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY CABLES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED IN TO THE LOCAL TOYOTA BODY SHOP WHERE IT WAS EXAMINED, DIAGNOSED, & REPAIRED. THE DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT LENS, BUMPER COVER, & COWLING WERE REPLACED DUE TO MELTING AND FIRE DAMAGE, THE WIRING HARNESS WAS INSPECTED AND REPAIRED(IT HAD BEEN DETERMINED IT HADN'T BEEN DAMAGED OTHER THAN INSPECTION) ALL PARTS WERE RESERVED FOR MY INSPECTION. I HAD BEEN TOLD THE HIGH BEAM HAD WORKED ITSELF LOOSE & CAUSED THE FIRE. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN!!! THE BULB HAD EXPLODED IN THE HOUSING, MINUTE PIECES OF GLASS WERE INSIDE THE HEADLIGHT HOUSING, & THE ONLY DAMAGE TO IT WAS EXTERNAL CHARRING. I HAVE STORED THE LENS FOR INSPECTION, PROVING THE EXPLOSION THEORY. I THANK THE LORD WE WERE NOT DRIVING AT THE TIME OR THE VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BURNED TO A CRISP. WE RECEIVED A FORM LETTER FROM TOYOTA A "WARRANTY ENHANCEMENT NOTICE" CONCERNING CERTAIN 2008- 2010 AVALON'S HIGH BEAM DRL BULBS. OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE HAD OTHER ISSUES AS THEY HAVE OFFERED REIMBURSEMENT IF WE HAVE HAD ANY REPAIRS PAID FOR "OUT OF POCKET" THIS BULB EXPLODED.....IT CAUSED A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, ITS ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT WE WERE IDLING IN A DRIVEWAY NEAR A WATER SOURCE, AND I HAVE HAD FIRE SAFETY TRAINING. I HAVE SINCE PURCHASED A LARGE EXTINGUISHER AND CARRY IT IT THE VEHICLE. WE ARE VERY ANXIOUS & CAUTIOUS DRIVING THE VEHICLE NOW. *TR

FAILURE: HIGH BEAM/DRL BULBS HIR1 9011. IN NOVEMBER 2010, THE RIGHT FRONT HID LOW BEAM BULB WAS FLICKERING AND FAILED. AS PART OF THE RIGHT FRONT HID LOW BEAM BULB REPLACEMENT, I DECIDED TO REPLACE BOTH OE TOSHIBA HIGH BEAM/DRL BULBS WITH PHILIPS REPLACEMENTS. TOSHIBA NO LONGER MANUFACTURES THE HIR1 9011 BULBS. THIS MOVE WAS STRICTLY A PRECAUTIONARY ACTION. KEPT THE TOSHIBA BULBS AS SPARES. WITHIN 6 MONTHS ONE PHILIPS HIR1 BULB FAILED IN THE DRL MODE AND THE OTHER BULB FAILED IN THE HIGH BEAM MODE. REUSED THE TOSHIBA BULBS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 TOYOTA AVALON. THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT LOCATED THE FAILURE IN THE THROTTLE BODY WIRES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WIRES, AND THE FUEL SYSTEM WIRES THAT FAILED DUE TO RODENTS WHO CHEWED THE WIRES. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT COVER THE REPAIRS UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

HIGH BEAM EXTERIOR LAMP LIGHTING FAILURE. AUTO REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT BULBS WERE SHATTERED INSIDE OF HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND REPLACED THE BULBS. HIGH BEAM BULBS FAILED AGAIN AFTER 9 MONTHS. TOYOTA STATES THAT BOTH HEAD LIGHT ASSEMBLIES MUST BE REPLACED AT $1088 EA TO PREVENT HIGH BEAM BULBS FROM SHATTERING IN THE FUTURE. *TR

THE LEVER THAT LOCKS THE TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL IN PLACE LOOSENS/DISENGAGES, RESULTING IN THE STEERING WHEEL 'LURCHING' FORWARD. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE MULTIPLE TIMES NOW. THE LEVER IS UNDERNEATH THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN AND ENGAGES/TIGHTENS BY PUSHING IT UP TOWARD THE STEERING WHEEL. THE LEVER ENGAGES BY 'COMPRESSION' ONLY - THERE IS NOT CLIP OR SPRING THAT PHYSICALLY 'LOCKS' THE LEVER IN PLACE. OVER TIME, FOR WHATEVER REASON (ROAD BUMPS/VIBRATIONS/ETC. AND WITH THE HELP OF GRAVITY) THE LEVER LOOSENS/DISENGAGES. THIS IS AN INHERENT SAFETY DESIGN FLAW IN THE TELESCOPING FUNCTION, AND COULD RESULT IN A SERIOUS/TRAGIC ACCIDENT IF THIS OCCURS WHILE DRIVING AT A HIGHER SPEED OR WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A TURN. THERE WERE NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS LOGGED BY OTHER TOYOTA AVALON OWNERS ON VARIOUS WEBSITES WHEN I SEARCHED THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. *TR

IT STARTED OFF WITH MY LOW BEAM HID LIGHTS ON MY PASSENGER SIDE...IT WOULD BURN VERY DIM AND SOMETIMES GO OUT COMPLETELY. I WOULD TURN THE LIGHTS OFF AND THEN BACK ON AND THE LIGHT WORKED SOMEWHAT, IT WOULD BURN BUT IT WAS DIM. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE LIGHT COMPLETELY STOPPED WORKING SO I USED MY HIGH BEAMS WHEN POSSIBLE. ABOUT A MONTH OR TWO AFTER THAT (LATE AUGUST/EARLY SEPTEMBER 2011) MY HIGH BEAM ON THE DRIVER SIDE STOPPED WORKING AND IT WAS REPLACED A LITTLE OVER A YEAR BEFORE IT STOPPED WORKING. SO THAT LEFT ME WITH A LOW-BEAM ON THE DRIVERSIDE AND A HIGH-BEAM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. A FEW WEEKS AFTER THE HIGH-BEAM WENT OUT ON THE DRIVERSIDE THE HIGH-BEAM ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WENT OUT LEAVING ME WITH ONLY A LOW-BEAM ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND FOG LIGHTS. AND EVERYTIME A LIGHT WENT OUT I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND NOTICED MY LIGHTS GOT DIM. *TR